COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State women’s lacrosse team will travel to face No. 14 Stanford at 1 p.m. PST (4 p.m. EST) Saturday in Laird Q. Cagan Stadium in Stanford, Calif. Live video and stats are available for the contest, linked above or on the Buckeyes’ Gameday page on OhioStateBuckeyes.com -- http://go.osu.edu/wlax_gameday.

IN A NUTSHELL

Ohio State is off to a 2-0 start to the year after defeating Detroit, 18-3, and Winthrop, 17-8, last weekend in Columbus.

Ohio State is 12-7 all-time in season lidlifters and now 8-2 in season openers in Columbus. Alexis Venechanos, in her fourth season as head coach, is 2-2 to begin the year.

In three-plus seasons under Venechanos, Ohio State is 10-4 in games played during the month of February.

The Buckeyes finished the 2013 campaign with an 8-10 record and a third-consecutive appearance in the ALC tournament semifinals.

SCOUTING STANFORDThe Cardinal open the 2014 season with its matchup vs. the Buckeyes Saturday. Stanford is ranked No. 14 in the IWLCA rankings, returning 11 of 12 starters from a team that won the MPSF tournament and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Returners Rachel Ozer (team-leading 48 goals, 28 assists) and Anna Kim were IWLCA All-Region second-team selections and lead a Cardinal attack that returns 260 of its 272 goals from 2013. Head coach Amy Bokker is in her sixth season with the Cardinal, guiding the team to four MPSF tournament titles in the last five seasons.

SERIES HISTORYStanford leads the all-time series, 6-4, against the Buckeyes, with the Cardinal taking the victory in Columbus last season, 12-10. Katie Chase scored a game-high four goals and Tori DeScenza made a season-high 13 saves in the loss. Ohio State defeated Stanford, 14-10, Feb. 12, 2012, in Palo Alto, Calif., after Gabby Capuzzi, who is now an assistant coach with the program, had a game-high four goals and an assist.

LAST TIME OUTThe Buckeyes rolled, 17-8, vs. Winthrop Feb. 9 last time out in Columbus. Leading the Buckeyes offensively was junior midfielder Mary Kate Facchina, who tied her career high with five goals, while classmate Jackie Cifarelli collected seven points, including six assists against Winthrop. Also having big offensive performances against the Eagles was junior Kelsea Ayers, who collected five points on a pair of goals and three assists, while junior Jennifer Porretto had four goals vs. the Eagles

A HELPING HANDJunior attack Jackie Cifarelli, who leads the team with 13 points in 2014, posted an impressive 11 assists in the opening games of the season last weekend. Cifarelli, a native of Rockville Center, N.Y., began the year with five helpers vs. Detroit Feb. 7 and followed with six more against the Eagles. Cifarelli has now collected six assists in a single game three times in her career and is just the fourth Buckeye in program history to accomplish the feat.

THREE BUCKEYES NAMED TO ALC PREASEASON WATCH LISTKatie Chase, Jackie Cifarell and Tayler Kuzma were each named to the ALC Preseason Watch List, the conference office announced Wednesday. Along with Penn State, the Buckeyes collected most selections in the conference. Ohio State, which received votes in the IWLCA coaches’ poll this week, was tabbed fifth in the preseason conference poll.

NEW TO THE STAFFGabby Capuzzi, a former All-American on the Ohio State women's lacrosse team, was named an assistant coach, Buckeye head coach Alexis Venechanos announced in August. Capuzzi wrapped up her career in 2012 as one of the most successful midfielders in program history and spent last season as a volunteer assistant.

In addition, Nora Boerger was hired as a coordinator of performance analysis, while Emily Boerger will serve as a volunteer assistant coach. The twin sisters wrapped up playing careers at Division II Urbana last season and are familiar with the Buckeye program through working several camps.

TOUGH ROADOhio State has six games scheduled against teams ranked in the Top 20 of the IWLCA preseason poll. No. 4 Northwestern, No. 5 Florida and No. 7 Penn State account for the three conference matchups with an additional three on tap vs. No. 11 Notre Dame, No. 14 Stanford and No. 20 Boston College. The Buckeyes will play the Cardinal and the Eagles in back-to-back weeks on the road later this month.

UP NEXTThe Buckeyes will continue its non-conference road schedule next week, traveling to Boston College Feb. 22 in Newtown, Mass.